Electric eye for automatically operating flushing valve



L. BOKSER March 13, 1956 ELECTRIC EYE FOR AUTOMATICALLY OPERATINGFLUSHING VALVE Original Filed Jan. 21. 1949 INVENTOR.

United States Patent ELECTRIC EYE FOR AUTOMATICALLY OPERATING FLUSHINGVALVE Lewis Bokser, Philadelphia, Pa.

Original application January 21, 1949, Serial No. 71,913,

now Patent No. 2,603,794, dated July 22, 1952. Divided and thisapplication September 27, 1951, Serial N0.248,487

6 Claims. Cl. 317-130 The present invention has to do with the automaticoperation of a flushing valve and is concerned primarily with anelectric eye for causing such automatic operation.

This application is a division of the copending application of LewisBokser, Serial Number 71,913, filed January 21, 1949, and entitledElectric Eye for Automatically Operating Flushing Valve, now Patent No.2,603,794.

At the present time, hand basins, urinals and toilets are installed invarious public places for use by the public. A hand basin ordinarilyincludes a valve which is manually operable to either turn the water onor off. Urinals and toilets generally include a flushing valve whichmust be manually operated to cause the flushing thereof.

Many members of the public are reluctant to place their hands on thewater valves of a hand basin or the flush valves of a toilet or urinalbecause of the very nature of the place wherein they are installed andthe fact that other people have touched them previously. They are simplyafraid of becoming contaminated or picking up almost any kind of germ.

There is another class of people who are very careless. They will walkaway from a hand basin leaving the water running or they will walk awayfrom a urinal or toilet without flushing it. In either case, theultimate result is highly unsatisfactory.

In the case of urinals and toilets, attempt has been made to overcomethese difliculties by providing either foot operated flush valves orautomatic intermittent flushing which takes place at periodic intervals.The foot valves have not been proven to be satisfactory because it makesno provision for the careless and lazy person and even emphasizes thetendency to walk away without flushing the urinal or toilet. In the caseof the automatic flushing at periodic intervals, considerable water iswasted as there is a large amount of unnecessary flushing and there isof course unnecessary wear.

With the foregoing conditions in mind, the present invention has in viewas its foremost objective the provision of a valve for controlling theHow of water which is automatically operated by an electric eye or lightbeam.

Still another more detailed object of the invention is the provision ofa flush valve that is particularly adapted for use with a urinal and theoperation of which is controlled by an electric eye or light beam. In apreferred embodiment interruption or breaking of the beam has no effecton the valve, but when the beam is completed after the interruption theflush valve is turned on for a predetermined time interval.

Particular objects and advantages of the invention are associated withthe provision of an electric circuit which 2,738,448 Patented Mar. 13,1956 intended to flush a urinal, together with mechanism for causingoperation of the fiush valve upon completion of a light beam after aninterruption thereof.

For a full and more complete understanding of the invention, referencemay be had to the following description and accompanying drawingswherein:

Figure l is a top plan view of a urinal and the accompanyinginstallation, and which is automatically flushed when a light beam iscompleted after interruption; and

Figure 2 is a wiring diagram of the electric circuit employed inconjunction with the installation of Figure 1.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 1 and 2, a wall 40 of apublic room which includes urinals is therein illustrated. Outstandingfrom the wall 40 are a pair of partitions 41 and 42. These partitionsdefine a stall or booth in which is located a urinal 43. Water isconducted to the urinal for flushing purposes by a conduit 44 andcontrolled by a flush valve represented at 45. A light source isrepresented at 46 and is mounted in the partition 42 so that it emits abeam of light depicted by the broken line 47 across the front of theurinal in spaced relation thereto. Under normal conditions this lightbeam 47 impinges on a photoelectric cell 48 mounted in the partition 41.

It is intended that when a user of the urinal 43, such as represented bythe figure at 49, approaches the urinal, the light beam 47 beinterrupted. On this interruption nothing happens but when the lightbeam is again completed the flush valve 45 is turned on for apredetermined period of time. This is accomplished by the electricalcircuit represented in Figure 2,

Referring now more particularly to Figure 2, the electric circuit forachieving this result is therein illustrated and will now be described.It will be noted that the photoelectric cell 48 is included in a closedcircuit 21a in which is also included a battery 22a and a resistor 23a.The battery 22a is arranged with its terminals in the positionrepresented by the plus and minus signs. The resistor 23a is locatedbetween a junction point 24a and a second junction point 25a.

A relay vacuum tube is represented at 260. This tube 26a includes a grid37a which is connected to the junction point 25:: by a line 28a. Thetube 26a also includes a cathode 29a which is grounded as represented at30a.

A battery 31a is connected between the junction 24a and a line 32a whichconnects the cathode 29a with the ground 30a. The battery 31a has itsterminals arranged in the manner depicted by the plus and minus signs.

A solenoid is represented at 33a and is included in a circuit 34a whichalso includes another battery 35a having its terminals arranged in themanner indicated by the plus minus signs. This circuit 34a is connectedto the cathode 29a of the tube 26a on one side and the anode of the tube26a which is represented at 360 on the other side.

A pair of power lines are represented at L1 and L2 respectively.

A solenoid 50 actuates a plunger 51 which is operatively connected to apair of knife blades 52 and 53. These blades are pivotally mounted andconnected across the terminals of a condenser 54. When the solenoid 50is energized it raises the plunger 51, whereby the blades 52 and 53 moveupwardly and their free ends engage contacts 55 and 56, whereby thecondenser 54 is connected across the terminals of a source of chargingpotential, such as the battery represented at 57.

When the solenoid 50 is deenergized, the armature 51 is moved downwardlycausing a corresponding movement of the blades 52 and 53, whereby thefree ends thereof disengage the contacts 55 and 56 and become engagedwith contacts 58 and 59. This connects the condenser 3 54 across abiasing resistor 60 which has one end connected with the grid 61 of avacuum tube 62. This tube 62 also includes a plate 63 which is connectedin circuit with a solenoid 64.

The tube 62 also includes a cathode 65 which is connected with thesolenoid 64 through a battery 66 which has its terminals arranged in amanner represented by the plus and minus signs.

A biasing battery is represented at 67 and is eiiective to bias the tube62. This battery 67 is in the circuit in the opposite direction to thebiasing battery 22. 1. With this arrangement when the condenser 54 is indischarged condition the tube 62 will normally be biased to cut off andwill not discharge. 7

However, when the condenser 54 is charged and is then connected acrossthe resistor 60, it will cause a current to flow through the resistor inthe direction of the arrow and this will offset the negative bias of thebattery 67 and cause the tube 62 to discharge.

The particular length of time that the tube 62 will remain dischargingafter the condenser 54 is connected across its terminals will bedetermined by the size of the condenser 54, the size of the chargingbattery 57, and the size of the biasing resistor 60. This time periodmay be further regulated by the addition of an adjustable resistor shownat 68.

What is accomplished by the circuit of Figure 2 is that when the beam 47is broken nothing happens. However, when the beam is reestablished afterbreaking, the flush valve 45 is held open for a predetermined period.

While a preferred specific embodiment of the invention is hereinbeforeset forth, it is to be clearly understood that the invention is not tobe limited to the exact devices, circuits, and electricalinstrumentalities illustrated and described because variousmodifications of these details may be provided in putting the inventioninto practice within the purview of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Electrical means for energizing an operating solenoid for apredetermined period, said means comprising: a closed circuit includinga light-sensitive cell, a battery, and a resistor; a relay vacuum tubehaving a grid connected to one end of said resistor, a grounded cathode,and an anode; a first solenoid having one end connected to said anodeand the other end to the ground connection of said cathode; a secondbattery interposed between the other end of said resistor and saidground connection; a pair of power lines; a normally open switchincluded in one of said lines and adapted to be closed by said firstsolenoid; a second solenoid in the circuit of said'power lines andadapted to be energized by the closing of said switch; a normally opencircuit including a condenser, a battery, and a normally open switchoperatively connected to said second solenoid; and a circuit includingthe solenoid to be energized and adapted to be connected to saidcondenser by the switch that is operatively connected to said secondsolenoid.

2. Electrical means for energizing an operating solenoid for apredetermined period, said means comprising: a closed circuit includinga light-sensitive cell, a battery, and a resistor; a relay vacuum tubehaving a grid connected to one end of said resistor, a grounded cathode,

and an anode; a first solenoid having one end connected to said anodeand the other end to the ground connection of said cathode; a secondbattery interposed between the other end of said resistor and saidground connection; a pair of power lines; a normally open switchincluded in one of said lines and adapted to be closed by said firstsolenoid; a second solenoid in the circuit of said power lines andadapted to be energized by the closing of said switch; a normally opencircuit including a condenser, a battery, and a normally open switchoperatively connected to said second solenoid; and a circuit includingthe solenoid to be energized and adapted to be connected to saidcondenser by the switch that is operatively con nected to said secondsolenoid, said last-mentioned circuit including a vacuum tube having agrid connected to one side of said last-mentioned switch, a groundedcathode, and a plate connected to one end of the solenoid to beenergized, the other end of the solenoid to be energized being connectedto. the other side of said last mentioned switch.

3. Electrical means for energizing an operating solenoid for apredetermined period, said means comprising: a closed circuit includinga light-sensitive cell, a battery, and a resistor; a relay vacuum tubehaving a grid connected to one end of said resistor, a grounded cathode,

' and an anode; a first solenoid having one end connected to said anodeand the other end to the ground connection of said cathode; a secondbattery interposed between the other end of said resistor and saidground. connection; a pair of power lines; a normally open switchincluded in one of said lines and adapted to be closed by said firstsolenoid; a second solenoid in the circuit of said power lines andadapted to be energized by the closing of said switch; a normally opencircuit including a condenser, a battery, and a normally open switchopcratively connected to said second solenoid; and a circuit includingthe solenoid to be energized. and adapted to be connected to saidcondenser by the switch that is operatively connected to said secondsolenoid, said last-mentioned circuit including a vacuum tube having agrid connected to one side of said last-mentioned switch, a groundedcathode, and a plate connected to one end of the solenoid to beenergized, the other end of the solenoid to be energized being connectedto the other side of said last-mentioned switch by a line including avariable resistor and a pair of batteries, and a biasing resistorbetween said last-mentioned grid and said line.

4. In an automatically controlled urinal; a water conduit; a flush valveconnected to said water conduit; a lightsensitive cell; a light sourceconstantly emitting a beam of light on said cell; an operating solenoidfor said flush valve; and electrical means for energizing said operatingsolenoid for a predetermined fixed period upon the light beam hittingsaid cell after an interruption thereof, said electrical meanscomprising: a closed circuit including said cell, a battery, and aresistor; a relay vacuum tube having a grid connected to one end of saidresistor, a grounded cathode, and an anode; a first solenoid having oneend connected to said anode and the other end to the ground connectionof said cathode; a second battery interposed between the other end ofsaid resistor and said ground connection; a pair of power lines; anormally open switch included in one of said lines and adapted to beclosed by said first solenoid; a second solenoid in the circuit of saidpower lincs and adapted to be energized by the closing of said switch; anormally open circuit including a condenser, a battery, and a normallyopen switch operatively connected to said second solenoid; and a circuitincluding said operating solenoid and adapted to be connected to saidcondenser by the switch that is operatively connected to said secondsolenoid.

5. In an automatically controlled urinal; a water conduit; a flush valveconnected to said water conduit; a light-sensitive cell; a light sourceconstantly emitting a beam of light on said cell; an operating solenoidfor said flush valve; and electrical means for energizing said operatingsolenoid for a predetermined fixed period upon the light beam hittingsaid cell after an interruption thereof, said electrical meanscomprising: a closed circuit including said cell, a battery, and aresistor; a relay vacuum tube having a grid connected to one end of saidresistor, a grounded cathode, and an anode; a first solenoid having oneend connected to said anode and the other end to the ground connectionof said cathode; a second battery interposed between the other end ofsaid resistor and said ground connection; a pair. of power lines; anormally open switch included in one of said lines and adapted to beclosedby said first solenoid; 'a second solenoid in the circuit of saidpower lines and adapted to be energized by the closing of said switch; anormally open circuit including a condenser, a battery, and a normallyopen switch operatively connected to said second solenoid; and a circuitincluding said operating solenoid and adapted to be connected to saidcondenser by the switch that is operatively connected to said secondsolenoid, said last-mentioned circuit including a vacuum tube having agrid con nected to one side of said last-mentioned switch, a groundedcathode, and a plate connected to one end of said operating solenoid,the other end of said operating solenoid being connected to the otherside of said lastmentioned switch.

6. In an automatically controlled urinal; a water conduit; a flush valveconnected to said water conduit; a light-sensitive cell; a light sourceconstantly emitting a beam of light on said cell; an operating solenoidfor said flush valve; and electrical means for energizing said operatingsolenoid for a predetermined fixed period upon the light beam hittingsaid cell after an interruption thereof, said electrical meanscomprising: a closed circuit including said cell, a battery, and aresistor; a relay vacuum tube having a grid connected to one end of saidresistor, a grounded cathode, and an anode; a first solenoid having oneend connected to said anode and the other end to the ground connectionof said cathode; a second battery interposed between the other end ofsaid resistor and said ground connection; a pair of power lines; anormally open switch included in one of said lines and adapted to beclosed by said first solenoid; a second solenoid in the circuit of saidpower lines and adapted to be energized by the closing of said switch; anormally open circuit including a condenser, a battery, and a normallyopen switch operatively connected to said second solenoid; and a circuitincluding said operating solenoid and adapted to be connected to saidcondenser by the switch that is operatively connected to said secondsolenoid, said last-mentioned circuit including a vacuum tube having agrid connected to one side of said last-mentioned switch, a groundedcathode, and a plate connected to one end of said operating solenoid,the other end of said operating solenoid being connected to the otherside of said last-mentioned switch by a line including a variableresistor and a pair of batteries, and a biasing resistor between saidgrid and said line.

AQf-SfifiiiZCQS Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,711,663 Van Der Bijl May 7, 1929 1,895,531 Weaver Jan. 31, 19331,985,563 Fitzgerald Dec. 25, 1934 2,058,668 Davis Oct. 27, 19362,238,987 Albin Apr. 22, 1941 2,304,207 Richardson Dec. 8, 19422,339,750 Bartholy Jan. 25, 1944 2,396,497 Eisenberg Mar. 12, 19462,438,207 Derby Mar. 23, 1948

